Apella Beach in Karpathos: a complete guide
Karpathos is filled with amazing beaches, but Apella Beach easily ranks as the most beautiful of them all. Surrounded by mountains and boasting crystal-clear serene waters, this is a place you can’t miss visiting while in Karpathos. There’re different ways to get to and experience this magnificent beacg. And in this post you’ll find out what are the best of them, whether you’re coming as a family or couple. Let’s deep dive into Apella Beach in Karpathos and help you plan a perfect beach day!
Where is Apella Beach in Karpathos
Apella Beach is nestled along the eastern shores of Karpathos Island, placed between Agios Nikolaos and Achata beaches. It’s approximately 16 kilometers away from Pigadia, the island’s bustling capital. And 32 kilometers away from the Karpathos airport.
If you want to avoid long commutes to Apella Beach, I recommend sleeping nearby. Ypsilos Beach Suites, Vento Isolano suites, Bella vista Suites and Agios Nikolaos Sea Side are your best accommodation options on the region.
Read our comprehensive Karpathos travel guide and find out best places to stay and things to do!
How to get to Apella Beach
It is possible to get to Apella Beach by car, bus or boat. Here are the details about the best ways of reaching the beach:
- Get to Apella Beach by car: the road to Apella is well marked and offer great views of the Aegean Sea. If you’re arriving from south (the direction of Pigadia) you’ll find a great viewpoint as soon as you enter the narrower road to Apella. Google Maps has Apella beach tagged, but if you prefer, you can use the coordinates 35.604541, 27.156564 on your GPS system.
- Get to Apella Beach by bus: There is a bus line (KTEL) connecting Pigadia to Apella 3 days a week during high season. The inbound bus leaves at 9:30am and returns at 16:00 or 16:30 during high season. You can check the updates schedule here.
- Get to Apella by boat: It’s also possible to get to Apella by boat leaving from Pigadia. There’s a wide variety of excursions you can join, so walk around the port of the capital and decide the best option for you.
Where to park
If you’re coming to Apella Beach by car, scooter or ATV you’ll want to arrive early. There’s quite a few parking spots at the narrow road leading to the beach where you can park your vehicle for free. But, since this is the most popular beach in Karpathos it tends to fill up in the first hours of the day.
Once you park your vehicle, you should head downwards until you find a staircase that leads to the beach. This is a panoramic walk which will reveal the outstanding beach of Apella!
Structure at Apella Beach
Apella is a large beach surrounded by high and lush cliffs. Its large extension caters for the large number of people visiting the beach during peak summer. So, it’s rare you’ll feel cramped in its pebbled shores. Half of the beach is structured with sunbeds and umbrellas to rent. It costs 20€ to rent a couple of sunbeds for the whole day, but you should arrive if you aim to get one.
If you prefer to bring your own beach tent, you can easily set it up on the other half of the beach. Which is the most beautiful part of Appela in my opinion. There are some pine trees offering natural shade, but it’s better not to count on it. To be on the safe side, bring your own shelter from the sun. Around 4pm the sun goes down the cliffs and shadows areas are plenty!
Restaurant at Apella Beach
There’s a restaurant above Apella Beach serving traditional Greek and Italian dishes. Although extremely convenient, this restaurant disappointed us. We ordered a souvlaki and the fish of the dat and both dishes were underwhelming. The fish was super greasy and the chicken full of fat with almost no lean meat. It’s rare to find a non-genuine restaurant in Karpathos, but unfortunately that’s the case of Appela restaurant. And the service was honestly really bad and slow.
That’s not to say the restaurant is a no go. After all, it may be the best option if you’re planning to spend a whole day at the beach and don’t want to bring your own food. My only suggestion is that go with curbed expectations and take it for what it is: a convenient restaurant with average food. Avoid ordering naturally oily food like fries and saganakis and enjoy the views. Because one things I gotta give to them: the views of Apella Beach from the restaurant are just stunning!
Nudist beach close to Apella
On the southern side of Apella Beach you’ll find a hiking trail leading to a secluded beach called Mikri Apella. Although a bit technical, the trail is totally doable if you have right shoes and adventurous spirit. I hiked in havaianas flip flops and thought it was ok, but Eric didn’t feel safe wearing them. Guess who is the Brazilian in the couple? The reward at the end of the trail is an extremely beautiful and calm beach protected from strong winds.
This is a nudist beach, so be aware and show your ultimate respect. We spent some time there, swimming freely in the sea and enjoying the idyllic atmosphere of this place. There were some families and couples at the beach and it was a very respectful environment. If you’re feeling explorative, why not to try going nude? We loved the experience!
What to bring to the beach
There’s a restaurant at the beach, but you can bring your own food, snacks and refreshments if you prefer. Additionally, you should bring the below items for a delightful day at the beach:
- Beach shoes for pebble beaches
- Body sunscreen
- Facial sunscreen
- Sun hat
- Stylish sunglasses
- Havaianas flip flops
- A beach bag
- Beach towel
- Long Sleeved UV Sun Protection Shirt
- Beach tent
Apella is hands-down one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve seen in the world. The water color and landscapes are insane. The atmosphere couldn’t feel more relaxing and idyllic, which makes of this beach a must-visit on Karpathos island. I strongly recommend you to plan for a full day at Apella Beach and if you’re curious about the other best beaches in Karpathos, click here!
